


Surviving Summer

by dracogotgame



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-03
Updated: 2013-10-03
Packaged: 2017-12-27 13:38:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/979565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracogotgame/pseuds/dracogotgame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't going to be easy managing four teenagers over the summer hols. But it was definitely going to be worth it.</p><p><b>Featured Book:</b> <span class="u">The Standard Book of Spells </span><br/>Others that were mentioned in passing: <span class="u">Charm Your Own Cheese </span>and <span class="u">Advanced Potion Making</span>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surviving Summer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Astardanced77](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astardanced77/gifts).



> This...will take a while. First of all, a big thank you to **astardanced77** for such a brilliant prompt. I love writing next gen, so this was a real treat. Kudos to you for coming up with such a super-adorable idea! Super-glomps also go out to the lovely, _lovely_ mods for being so kind and patient with my requests for extensions and for putting up with my general panicking. Finally, this story would never have come together if it wasn't for the tireless efforts of **stephaniejo84** , an all-round brilliant beta and fantastic cheerleader. Thank you so much, darling. This would have fallen apart without you. Well, there's not much more to say except I hope you enjoy reading this not so little fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Cheers, kids!

 

 

 

[ ](http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/File:StandardBookofSpells5.jpg)   
from: _Harry Potter from Page to Screen_

Draco smirked and suppressed an eye roll as Harry shuffled about on the platform, fiddling anxiously with his shirt collar. He tugged and pulled and when it admitted defeat and fell flat, he swore and started the whole process again. Honestly, it was endearing, but the other parents at King's Cross were starting to stare a bit. Draco sighed and stepped in, wrapping firm fingers around Harry’s wrist to rescue the hapless fabric.

“They are children,” he declared firmly. “Our children. They were ecstatic when we got married and I doubt that’s changed at all. Everything is going to be fine. You have no reason to be this nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” Harry mumbled unconvincingly. Draco’s grip tightened as his hand twitched involuntarily, angling for that benighted collar. Harry huffed and yielded reluctantly, scuffing his shoes against the platform. Draco gave up. A year of being married to his ex-rival, and possibly the most stubborn man on the planet, had taught him to pick his battles. It was just easier to let Harry wage his fretful inner wars, then step in as the voice of reason.

Besides, it made him look like the smart, capable one in their relationship, and Draco was absolutely fine with that.

“Why would I be nervous?” Harry muttered as if on cue. “It’s not like we’re having all our children under one roof for the very first time. Or that they’re all teenagers, in case you missed that little detail. It’s not like it’s a huge adjustment for them and the whole thing’s going to go to Hades. Oh no, why on earth would I be nervous? Nothing to be nervous about. I’ll just stand here and wait for our lives to turn upside down and inside out. You know, _not_ nervously.”

“And here I was all worried that you were nervous,” Draco replied dryly.

Harry gave him a light shove, apparently changing his mind at the last minute, and wrapping an arm around his husband to pull him closer. “I’m glad you’re here though,” he whispered. His lips brushed Draco’s ear, making him shiver involuntarily. Three months with four teenagers in the house. Draco tried not to groan.

“I’m glad you’re here too, you sot,” he murmured. “And try to relax. I meant what I said. Our kids are happy and they’re thrilled to be spending summer vacation with us. It’s going to be fine.”

“It’s easy for you to say,” Harry replied with a sigh. “Mine adore you. They think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Draco smiled at that. He was rather fond of the Potter kids himself. Albus—being Scorpius’ best friend—had featured in his first encounter with the Potter brood. It was thanks to their combined refusal to spend the summer apart that Draco had ended up spending so much time with Harry in the first place. Draco had found himself pleasantly surprised by the boy’s reserved manner and subtle sense of humour. Besides, he was almost ridiculously protective of Scorpius, which pretty much guaranteed a stamp of approval in Draco’s book. The fact that he was a Slytherin had only helped his case.

As for the rest:

James—in true form—had barrelled his way into Draco’s life, firmly declaring that he was ‘cooler than all of his Dad’s previous boyfriends put together’. The fact that Draco and Harry hadn’t even considered dating up to that point didn’t seem to bother him in the least. Draco grinned. He _still_ chuckled out loud when he recalled the look on Harry’s face. All said and done, James was a handful, but he was one of Draco’s favourite Gryffindors and there wasn’t a thing he would change about the boy.

There wasn’t much to be said about Lily. A pretty, wispy little thing who he had felt instantly protective of—Draco was fairly certain that anyone who met her felt the same way—and _then_ he got to know her. Lily Luna Potter may look like a frail little pixie, but she could hold her own with two older brothers. A clever and particularly resourceful Ravenclaw, Draco found himself both amused and impressed by her tenacity and creativity when said brothers got on her nerves. She was still the sweetest little girl to him though, and he would do anything for her.

“I adore them too, you know,” he said to Harry. “They’re great kids.”

“Yours too,” Harry smiled. “I just wish he felt the same way about me.”

Draco sighed. “He does,” he repeated for about the tenth time. “It’s just harder for him.”

It was, at that. Ginevra Weasley was a lot of things, but a bad mother wasn’t one of them. Harry had his regrets as far as she was concerned, but their divorce had been a mutual decision. Despite her busy schedule— touring the world with the Holyhead Harpies— she had made a concerted effort to remain a part of her children’s lives. She was pleasant to Draco when they met and had been nothing but supportive of Harry’s decision to marry again. As much as he would like to, Draco could find no fault with her.

Astoria was a different story. Draco’s lips curled slightly as he remembered their short but painful relationship. Their marriage had been a mistake from the start— a desperate attempt to salvage the family name— and he admitted that part of it was his fault. They had been incompatible in almost every possible aspect, and it was clear to Draco in the first year itself that their marriage was doomed to fail.

The nail in the coffin was when Scorpius had been conceived. Astoria had not been best pleased to learn she was pregnant, and it had taken the combined efforts of a formidable team of lawyers and a sizeable chunk out of the Malfoy vault to convince her to carry the baby to term. Draco had been more than happy to see the back of her once he had Scorpius safe in his arms. That said, his boy had grown up knowing that his mother had never wanted him, and despite all Draco’s efforts, it had made him wary and withdrawn.

The Potter children were good for him, though. It hadn’t escaped Draco’s notice how Scorpius lit up when he was with Albus, or how much he laughed with James and Lily. The marriage had been a big step for him, but he had accepted it. Draco was sure he would open up to Harry eventually. He just needed time.

“You’ll be fine,” he said. “Just be patient with him. Believe me—if he _didn’t_ like you, you would know.”

“I would?”

Draco smirked. “Let’s just say Zacharias Smith had peacock feathers growing out of unspeakable places for a while when we were dating.”

Harry groaned. “Shockingly, this isn’t making me feel any better. And _when_ did you date Zacharias Smith?”

“Oh look, they’re here,” Draco blurted. Sure enough, in the distance the Hogwarts Express was trudging up to the station— announcing its arrival with a deafening blast in case anyone missed it. Harry— mercifully distracted—tightened his grip on Draco’s hand. ~~~~

“Well, here goes nothing,” he muttered.

Draco’s reply was drowned out by another blast from the Express. Instead he squeezed his husband’s hand back, silently promising that they would still be standing when this was over.

From the corner of his eye, he caught Harry’s reluctant but unmistakable smile.

 

 

 

****

“Quit shoving, James!”

“Then don’t get in my way, shrimp.”

“Ouch! That was my foot, Al!”

“Sorry, Lil. Hey Scorp, have you seen my…”

“I packed it.”

“What about my…”

“Packed it.”

“And the…”

“Al, for the sake of convenience let’s just assume— if you lost it, I packed it.”

“I’m _so_ glad you live here now.”

Harry grinned as he watched the chaos unfold before him. At least the four were settling in without a hitch. They had been in high spirits at the station, and the hugging and chattering and excited shrieking had taken all of twenty minutes to dispense with.

He had been particularly relieved to note how happy his children were to see Draco. Granted, they had always been fond of him, but going from ‘Dad’s boyfriend’ to ‘Dad’s new husband’ was not easy. That said, Lily had shrieked and launched herself at the blond the second she laid eyes on him, and James and Albus had badgered him with Puddlemere and Cannon scores all the way home.

He hadn’t fared that well with Scorpius. The young blond had shied away after a quiet ‘Hello, Harry’ and a quick handshake, but Harry wasn’t too disheartened. He had an entire summer to convince Scorpius that he was here to stay— as much for him, as for Draco.

It would happen when it happened.

At least he was settling in well. Harry watched with amusement as the boys tried to wrestle Al’s oversized school trunk up the stairs before obliging them with a _Leviosa_.

“Thanks, Dad!” Al grinned. “Scorp’s staying in my room, right?”

“He’s not staying in mine,” James declared, sprawling on the couch. “It took me ten years to kick _you_ out.”

Al snickered. “You miss me, big brother. Admit it.”

“Sod off.”

“Watch your language,” Harry sighed, completely aware that he was fighting a losing battle on that one. He turned his attention to the younger boys instead. “And yes, you and Scorpius are sharing. It’s his room too now.” Scorpius blinked—apparently a bit surprised at being included so readily. Harry gave him a reassuring smile. It was going to take some work to make this boy feel welcome here.

“Go on and get settled,” he suggested. “And I haven’t had a chance to look in that trunk yet, but it goes without saying— any dungbombs, fanged flyers, screaming yo-yos...pretty much _anything_ you got from Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes goes in the trash.”

“So much for practicing what you preach, Potter.”

Harry’s groan at that familiar, snide tone was drowned out as four sets of cheers rang out. He turned around with a vague sense of foreboding. Sure enough, Snape’s portrait was smirking down at him over the mantle. His late Potions teacher surveyed the little crowd with muted interest, a glint of amusement in his dark eyes. Harry scowled sulkily. Why he had agreed to let Draco hang _Snape_ up there, he would never understand. Surely, there had been some underhanded trickery involved…

“Uncle Severus!” Lily bounced over, a smile on her face. “You’re here! I was wondering when you’d show up.”

Harry could have sworn Snape’s eyes softened slightly—a trick of the light, most likely. “A pleasure as always, Miss Potter,” the late professor replied with a slight bow.

“Uncle Sev!” James grinned, sauntering over as well. “I have to ask—how’s it hanging?”

“Ten points from Gryffindor for that abysmal attempt at humour, Mr Potter,” Snape drawled. “Dare I ask about your Potions grade this year?”

“Nice frame,” James carried on, blithely ignoring the question. “New coat of varnish?”

“It’s nice to see you again, Professor,” Scorpius put in, making his way over with Al.

“And you, young Mr Malfoy. I hope _you_ at least, secured an E in all your subjects?”

“Scorp would have a coronary if he didn’t get Os in everything, Professor. You know that,” Al put in with a grin.

Snape raised an eyebrow at him. “Indeed, Mr Potter. For your sake, I hope his diligence is contagious.”

Al smirked. “I got an E in Potions,” he challenged.

“Indeed?” Snape asked, raising an interested eyebrow. “And how was this incredible feat accomplished?”

 “I had a little help from royalty,” the younger Slytherin admitted slyly. “A Prince, actually.”

Snape’s eyes narrowed as he turned on Harry. “I had hoped that even you would have the presence of mind to destroy that book, Potter,” he spat.

Harry rolled his eyes. “He’s messing with you, Severus. I got rid of it years ago.” He had burned it. The very thought of what that book had nearly cost him set him on edge. Honestly, even Snape should think better of him than to assume he would hand over something that dangerous to his _son_.

Al snickered happily. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. I just browsed through some of those extra texts you recommended. The rest was easy.”

Snape glowered at him but refrained from actual scolding— apparently placated. “We do not joke about certain things, young man.”

Al’s smile faded instantly. “Sorry,” he mumbled, scuffing his shoe against the floor. “I just…thought you’d be happy I got a good grade.”

Snape’s gaze softened slightly as he regarded the youngest Potter boy. “I’m very pleased. Proud, as well.”

Al perked up immediately and grinned brightly at his late Head of House. “We should go unpack,” he announced, taking Scorpius’ arm and dragging him off. “But you’ll stick around, won’t you Professor?”

“Bad painting-based puns notwithstanding, I plan to.”

The boys shot him a parting grin and took off, Lily departed to her room and James suddenly remembered that he needed to let his owl out of its cage. It was just Harry and Snape again, and neither looked too pleased about the fact.

 “Aren’t you supposed to be at Hogwarts right now?” Harry grumbled.

“I sense you’re trying to make a point, Potter.”

“Yes, I am. Go away.”

“And miss this?” Snape smirked. “Oh, I don’t think so.”

Harry muttered under his breath as he stalked off to find Draco. At least one Slytherin was still on his side, and Harry had a feeling by the time this summer was done he was going to all the help he could get.

 

 

 

****

It had been a long, tiring day for everyone. Draco suppressed a yawn as he headed to bed. Four children in the house called for some major crisis management, and between Lily’s lost Charms notes and the Fanged Frisbee that had ‘accidentally’ ended up in James’ trunk and eaten all his socks, he was exhausted. All he wanted was to curl up next to Harry and sleep for a week. It was on the way upstairs that he chanced to hear faint noises from the boys’ room.

Draco decided to take a brief look, halting by the doorway and watching his son unpack and organize his closet with alarming efficiency. Albus wasn’t around— in the shower, probably. Draco frowned as he observed his son’s compulsive cleaning. Scorpius tended to straighten things up to calm himself down. Draco sighed. He had been so busy today, but he really should have taken some time out to talk to him. At the very least, he should have ensured that his boy didn’t have to resort to refolding an entire semester’s worth of school robes just to relax. Scorpius was just about finished when Draco spoke up.

“Big day, yeah?” he asked softly.

Scorpius whipped around, immediately relaxing at the sight of his father. “I guess,” he replied with a shrug. “I’m just about done here.”

“I see that.” Draco grinned, stepping in and looking around. “Please tell me you’re not tackling Al’s things next.”

Scorpius smiled back and rolled his eyes. “I’m not a Gryffindor, Father. Ravenclaws know when to quit.”

Draco chuckled. “He’s a bit of a mess, isn’t he?”

“Try _slob_.”

Draco smiled and reached out, herding his son over. He sighed in relief as Scorpius settled next to him and rested his head on his shoulder. It was a bit harder to read him now that he was officially a teenager but Draco could still figure out the signs if he tried hard enough. And right now he could tell that his son needed him.

“It’s a big change, isn’t it?” he coaxed gently.

Scorpius nodded and Draco smiled, stroking his hair back. “I just want you to know you can come to me if you feel like it.”

“I know,” the boy mumbled, curling up against him. “It’s just…you didn’t really have the time today, did you?”

Draco pried him off gently, raising a hand to stroke his son’s cheek gently. “I _always_ have time for you,” he declared firmly. “You know that, son.”

Scorpius sighed. “I’m sorry, Father. Everyone’s doing this better than me. Al, James, even Lily…”

“They’ve had time to adjust. To me. To this,” Draco cut in gently. “It’s different for you. Everyone understands that. You don’t have to do or say anything you’re not comfortable with. We just want you to be happy.”

“I’m happy for you,” Scorpius mumbled. “And don’t get me wrong, they’re great. Al was like a brother to me even before… all of this, and James is okay when he’s not being a prat. And it’s definitely not lonely like at the Manor. It’s just, it’s like we’re all suddenly one big family and…and…”

“And you’re not sure where you fit in?”

“Well, sort of. Yeah, I guess. And there are other things. Like…Mother.”

“She’s still your family,” Draco replied. _Even if she doesn’t care enough to be,_ he thought snidely. But that wasn’t what Scorpius needed to hear right now. “She’s your mother,” he went on. “And just because my…feelings towards her have changed doesn’t mean that yours need to or even should.”

“But Harry…”

“…is here for you. Or at least, he really wants to be. And he’ll still be here when you’re ready. It doesn’t have to be now— or anytime soon, for that matter. But Scorpius, it’s not _wrong_ for you to care about them. If you feel like you’re being unfair to your mother by…”

“She wrote to me,” Scorpius interrupted. Draco stilled and immediately felt Scorpius tense in response. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around the boy, stroking his hair again. “What did she say?” he asked carefully. He couldn’t think of a thing Astoria could want with his son and he certainly didn’t trust her with him. Not after…Draco shook himself firmly. This wasn’t about him.

Scorpius relaxed marginally. “She said she’d take me to The World Cup this year. She’s in town for a while…she said she wanted to spend time with me and…”

“And you want to go.” It wasn’t a question.

Scorpius nodded hesitantly. “If it’s okay with you,” he whispered.

Draco fought the urge to refuse on general principle. This wasn’t about him, he reminded himself firmly. After all, she was his mother— even if she had done absolutely _nothing_ to be deserving of the title. But the fact remained that Scorpius wanted to see her and…

“Please, Father? She’s family too, right? Can’t I just…”

“You can go,” Draco replied, trying his hardest to sound happy about it. It was decidedly not easy. Still, for Scorpius…Draco turned to his son, smiling reassuringly. “I mean, of course you can go. If it’s what you want, then I’m all for it.”

“Really?” Scorpius smiled, looking genuinely happy. Draco could only hope it would last.

“I just want you to be happy,” he repeated.

“I am, Father. I promise.”

That was all Draco needed to hear. All he would ever need. “Go to sleep,” he said softly. “It’s late. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Scorpius obliged and settled in without protest. Draco waited a few minutes, making sure his son was at ease, before getting up.

“Father?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for listening.”

Draco smiled and bent down, brushing a gentle kiss over the sleepy child’s forehead before he could protest. “I always will,” he whispered. “Go to sleep now.”

He left the room silently, almost colliding with yet another sleepy teenager. “What’d I miss?” Albus yawned, blinking owlishly at him. Draco smirked and ruffled his hair fondly. “Just a bit of unpacking. Nothing you’d be interested in.”

“Got that right,” Al muttered, trudging off to bed. “Night, Draco.”

“Goodnight, Albus.”

It was past midnight when he finally got under his own covers. Draco sighed as he settled down. Almost at once, a lean, toned arm wrapped around his middle.

“Where were you?” Harry pulled him closer and nuzzled into his hair.

“Kids,” Draco mumbled sleepily, curling gratefully into his husband’s arms. He could barely keep his eyes open.

Harry chuckled next to him and ran a hand down his hip. “Day one and we’re wrecked.”

“I’m so tired I could sleep for a month.”

“Well, that’s a shame.”

Draco cracked a suspicious eye open, scowling as he caught Harry’s grin. “Don’t even think about it, Potter. I’m exhausted.”

“Oh, come on,” Harry whined, shifting urgently next to him. Draco groaned, half in exasperation and half in appreciation as an unmistakable— not to mention, impressive— bulge brushed against his thigh. “That’s cheating,” he mumbled petulantly.

“Am I winning?”

Despite his exhaustion, Harry’s hopeful tone brought an amused smirk to Draco’s lips. “Maybe,” he countered slyly. Harry grinned back and turned him around easily, brushing his lips against Draco’s before plunging in for a deep, unhurried kiss. Draco moaned appreciatively, wrapping long, lithe legs around Harry to keep him in place. Talented lips made their way to his neck and he arched instinctively.

“Harry…”

“I know, love. Just let me do all the…”

“James, you _prat!_ Turn out that damn light! Some of us are trying to sleep in here!”

“Cry me a river, shrimp!”

“Will you lot keep it down out there? Ugh, boys! I swear to Merlin…”

Harry echoed Draco’s groan as the voices rose— shrill and indignant and _loud_. Draco muttered under his breath and buried his head under the pillow. “Next time, put up a Silencing Charm,” he informed Harry snidely.

“I did,” Harry groaned. “They’re breaking _through_ it, the little…” Suddenly, inspiration struck like a bludger. Harry bolted up and scrambled around the small bedside table nearly knocking the lamp over. Not that he cared. Where was it? It _had_ to be here…

“Ah ha!” he crowed triumphantly, as his hand closed around a tattered but unmistakable book. _The Standard Book of Spells_ was always handy around the house, but with his four hellions around it was downright necessary.

“Come on, Extra Strength Silencing Charm,” Harry muttered as he leafed through the pages. It took a while but he finally found the spell on page 34. Grinning triumphantly, Harry waved his wand sighing with relief as the shrill voices faded away at once.

“Finally,” he grinned, stowing the book away carefully. He’d probably need it again before the summer was done with. Right now however, he had more important things to worry about. Still smirking, he reached for Draco. “Now where were…”

Draco mumbled incoherently and burrowed into his pillow. Almost instantly, a soft snoring commenced from his general direction. Harry’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

 _So_ close.

He grumbled sulkily, punching his pillow and settling down for a restless night. Oh well, it couldn’t get much worse from here, right? 

“Damn it, James! Turn out your lights before I knock them out!”

On second thought, he’d rather not know.

All he could do was wait and see what the summer would bring.

Harry followed Draco’s example and buried his head under his pillow.

 

 

 

****

**Two weeks later…**

Harry leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh, leafing through _The Prophet_. His normally peaceful weekends were rather chaotic now with the kids around, and he was more than happy to find a few minutes to himself every now and then.

That said, they hadn’t brought the house down yet. Harry wasn’t entirely sure if this was a good thing or just one of those ‘calm before the storm’ deals. So far, aside from a few minor skirmishes things had been relatively peaceful. Lily spent most of her time in her room or on the Floo with Rose. Al and Scorpius had each other and didn’t seem to need much else. James was holed up in his room as well— allegedly exchanging an endless series of owls with a young lady named Miranda Johnson. So, he was far too busy to engage in his customary brand of mayhem either.

It was so peaceful that Harry was actually beginning to wonder if he had been overreacting after all. Perhaps he and Draco were actually (against all odds) raising four perfectly well-adjusted, mature…

**“DADDY!”**

And there it was.

Harry sighed and put down _The Prophet_ , just in time to settle down for the mini inferno blazing into the study. Lily stomped over, hands on her hips and scowl firmly in place. She looked about one step from bursting into flame; the fiery red of her hair doing nothing to dispel the image. Harry folded his hands, regarding his seething little girl with all the seriousness of a key witness at a Wizengamot hearing.

“You shrieked, princess?”

Lily was not appeased. Her brown eyes flashed as she stared him down, arms crossed and foot tapping in a decidedly threatening manner.

“I wish to have a serious conversation with you about those _demons_ I am forced to call my brothers.”

“Of course,” he agreed seriously, trying his hardest to suppress a grin. Lily’s scowl darkened and Harry hastened to resolve whatever teenage crisis was at hand this time. Lily was the light of his life, but she _had_ inherited her mother’s temper and he had no wish to bear the brunt of it.

No, that was what sons were for.

“Demons!” he called. “Get down here!”

Assorted footsteps clattered down the stairs and the study was suddenly teeming with teenagers.

“You called, Dad?” James asked with exaggerated innocence, swaggering in with a snickering Albus at his side. Scorpius followed, looking somewhat bewildered. Apparently, living in a house full of Potters took some getting used to.  But he certainly looked more at ease than when he had arrived. In fact, he was regarding the proceedings with apparent curiosity. Harry nodded approvingly to himself before turning to give Lily his complete attention.

“Which one is it, darling?”

“Him!” Lily hissed, pointing dramatically at her eldest brother. James gasped in mock outrage and clutched at his chest. Lily’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “It’s _always_ him! Why do we even have him in the house? Can’t we just send him to a kennel or something?”

“Most of the good kennels refused,” Albus contributed sagely. Scorpius snickered and high-fived him, while dodging a retaliatory shove from James.

Harry sighed as he turned to his oldest. “What did you do this time?”

James squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. “Merely my duty, Father,” he replied loftily. “Merely my duty.”

Lily shrieked in indignation and stamped her foot. “You git! It is not your _duty_ to read my diary!”

James for his part ~~,~~ looked entirely unrepentant. “First of all, I didn’t know it was private.”

“ _Really?_ Did the bold print stating **Lily’s Private Journal** not tip you off?”

“Secondly, she left it out where anyone could find it.”

“It was in a box under my bed!”

“And thirdly, I don’t see what all the fuss is about. It’s not like I had fun wading through eight pages on Lorcan Scamander’s hair.”

**“James!”**

“Eight pages. On _hair_.”

“Daddy, _do_ something!” Lily screeched indignantly. James crossed his arms, stoic and undaunted. Harry sighed and walked over to the bookcase, searching for his trusty old companion. The _Standard Book of Spells_ had yet to fail him. A quick skim through Chapter Four was all he needed. Harry nodded to himself and pulled out a wand.

“ _Accio_ Lily’s diary.”

He caught the book neatly as it flew down the stairs and into his study. Harry wasted no time in casting a Locking Charm on the blasted thing.

“There you go, sweetheart,” he said, handing it back to Lily. “Now your secrets are safe.” Lily beamed at him, all homicidal tendencies shelved for the time being. “Thank you, Daddy,” she chirped, standing on tip toes to kiss his cheek. With that she cast a parting scowl at her assembled brothers, stuck her tongue out at James and turned on her heel, diary firmly tucked under her arm.

“Well, show’s over,” Albus sighed as she scampered off. “Come on, Scorp. Let’s go find something else to do.”

“Or,” Harry replied dryly. “You could get started on that homework piling up under your bed. Just a thought.”

“Oh gosh, look at the time,” Albus blurted, shepherding Scorpius out the door. “We’re late for uh…the thing. Come on, James.”

“Not so fast, young man,” Harry broke in as James made to follow them. “You and I are going to have a little talk about respecting your sister’s privacy.” He regarded the younger boys meaningfully. “Of course, if anyone _else_ is also in need of that particular lecture, they’re welcome to stay and…”

They shot out of the room at once, abandoning James without so much as passing thought. Harry waited until they were well out of sight before turning to James.

“Lorcan Scamander,” he stated without preamble. “What do we have on him?”

“Fifth year Hufflepuff,” James rattled with practice ease. “Gets E’s in most of his classes. Likes Care of Magical Creatures. Has a screech owl named Talon. Okay Chaser but he needs to work on his aim a bit. Also— in case anyone missed it— he has nice hair.”

Harry nodded and mentally filed the information away. “Keep an eye on him.”

“I always do.”

“Do you know how to reverse the Locking Charm on that diary?”

“Chapter Eight, _Standard Book of Spells: Grade Three_.”

“That’s my boy.”

 

 

 

****

Lily flounced down the hall in a huff, still huddling her diary possessively. Stupid James! He just made her so mad sometimes! And now she had three brothers to deal with. _Three!_ What’s one little girl supposed to do against odds like that?

“You appear troubled, Miss Potter.”

Lily turned around, bestowing a smile on her favourite painting. “Hello, Uncle Severus. It’s just my stupid, annoying brothers again. I wish they’d stop bothering me.”

“Indeed?” Severus drawled. “I happen to know a trifle about dealing with—in your words—‘stupid, annoying Potter boys’. May I offer some assistance?”

“I wish you could. But it’s three to one here. I’m sort of outnumbered.”

“Mm,” Severus replied noncommittally. “Miss Potter, are you familiar with the technique for extracting venom from a live Acromantula?”

Lily blinked at the abrupt change in subject. “Are you saying I should…poison them? Because I can get on board with that…”

Severus smirked. “Perhaps we needn’t go that far,” he replied dryly. “For the time being it will do as an example. Now as any Ravenclaw worthy of the house should know, Borage made a compelling case in _Advanced Potion-Making_ for the use of Acromantula venom in healing potions. Nevertheless, it is deemed extremely rare because…”

“Because it can only be extracted from an adult female Acromantula,” Lily finished impatiently. “And they’re extremely dangerous and aggressive. Some can even take down four males in a fight. I _know_ all of that. What does it have to do with…”

“Only everything, my dear,” Severus replied smoothly. “You see, the female of the species is always deadlier than the male.”

Lily’s eyes widened with realization, a slow grin playing on her lips. “You’ll _always_ be my favourite teacher,” she announced happily.

“At your service, Miss Potter.”

He watched with mild amusement as she giggled and took off. This could be most interesting. He almost felt sorry for her oblivious victim. No doubt there would be retaliation. In fact, this would most likely spark a war of sorts. Utter chaos. Calamity even. Harry Potter was going to wish he’d never been born. The thought was…gratifying. And to think he had a front row seat to the circus. Sometimes, being a painting wasn’t so terrible

Severus Snape settled back in his frame with a smirk—waiting for the games to begin.

 

 

 

****

Scorpius yawned and scrubbed at his hair as he trudged down the stairs. He had overslept this morning and Al was already gone by the time he woke up. He tried not to think too much of it. He could hardly expect Al to spend every waking moment with him. After all, he had his brother and sister to talk to. It was only natural for him to want to spend some time with them. Besides, Scorpius had plenty of practice being by himself. He hadn’t exactly grown up with a house full of siblings, and at school Al was the only friend he really needed. No, Scorpius could do just fine all alone. All he needed was a good book and…

He was so caught up in his inner musings that he didn’t even notice Harry until he ran right into him. Scorpius yelped in alarm as he nearly stumbled only to find himself steadied by a firm but gentle hand.

“Alright there?” Harry asked as he helped him up. His eyes were full of concern and Scorpius felt a bit uncomfortable at being the centre of such intense attention. “That could have been a nasty fall.”

“I’m okay,” the blond mumbled. “Sorry about that.”

Harry smiled down at him. It was a warm, infectious smile and despite his discomfort, Scorpius found himself offering one of his own. Harry could do that to people. Make them smile. Father certainly smiled more ever since Harry had come along.

“Feeling a bit lost?” Harry ventured gently.

Scorpius shrugged, but didn’t affirm that. As much as he liked the man— it was decidedly difficult not to— he wasn’t too big on sharing his problems with his best friend’s father. _Al’s_ father. Not his.

“I’m okay,” he ventured finally. “Are you coming for breakfast?”

“I’ll be down in a bit. Go on. I’ll see you there.”

Scorpius nodded in acknowledgement, turning to make his way down the stairs.

“Scorpius.”

He stopped and turned around again. Harry smiled back, his eyes gentle and understanding. “We’re all really glad you’re here. All of us.”

Scorpius found himself smiling back for the second time in ten minutes. It was _really_ hard not to like him. He offered another awkward nod, before hurrying downstairs.

He was halfway there when the commotion started. Scorpius stopped in his tracks, as the sounds of an utter and complete conniption drifted down from the hall. A howl of pure rage rang out, accompanied by faint giggling.

“You think this is funny, you prat?!” James was practically spitting. Scorpius took a step back, half considering seeking refuge in his room after all. Who needed breakfast, anyway?

“I’m going with yes,” Al chortled. “Oh _Merlin_ , yes!”

“Albus, stop it.” Draco’s exasperated tone rose above the ruckus. “And you calm down. For Merlin’s sake, James. It’s just…”

“Calm down? _Calm down?!_ I look like something the Weird Sisters threw up!”

Albus descended into another raucous bout of laughter and Scorpius’ curiosity got the better of him. He padded down to the kitchen, stopping in his tracks yet again and gaping at the sight before him.

James. A hopping mad James. With electric blue hair.

Oh…

Albus eventually managed to compose himself enough to sit up, immediately catching sight of his best friend. “Scorp, you made it! Just out of curiosity…do you think there’s something, I don’t know— _different_ about James today?”

James snarled and lunged for his aggravating sibling; Draco reached out on parental instinct and yanked him back. “Enough,” he declared, pointing a firm, no-nonsense finger at the scrapping boys. They subsided with resentful grumbling and seated themselves obediently. Albus was still grinning and James muttered darkly as he dug viciously into his cereal. Scorpius eyed them warily, slipping in to a chair across from them.

“What did you _do?_ ” he asked Albus, gawking at James’ hair in part awe and part alarm. If this was a normal morning with siblings, he wasn’t sure he could survive it.

“It wasn’t me.”

Draco raised an unconvinced eyebrow at him, eliciting an indignant huff from Albus. “It wasn’t! Does that look like my handiwork?” He gestured disparagingly at his sulking older brother. “I assure you, if it was _me_ he’d be sporting a sophisticated verdant shade. No, this has Ravenclaw written all over it.”

“I had _nothing_ to do with this!” Scorpius protested, lest James should turn on him.

“Not you,” James grumbled sullenly. “This is the work of someone _far_ more devious. Unscrupulous. _Dastardly_ , even…”

“I’m sure your sister had her reasons,” Draco smirked. “At least, no one can say she lacks house spirit.”

“Maybe it’s time I show some of my house spirit then!” James retorted huffily. He raised his head and bellowed at the house in general. **“You hear that, Lily? I’m coming for you!”**

A blithe, taunting voice rang out from the safe interiors of Lily’s room. “The female of the species is deadlier than the male, big brother! Think about _that_ next time you read my diary!”

“That’s it!” James growled, getting up abruptly and grabbing the first weapon at hand— a fork. “No more Mister Nice…”

“Sit down and eat your breakfast,” Draco drawled, pushing him back in the chair. “There’s probably something in _The Standard Book of Spells_ for…that. I’ll have a look. In the meantime, maybe the lot of you could start on that homework you’ve been avoiding.”

“Or,” Albus piped up. “We could go out for a round of Quidditch. What about it, Jamie? Head to the park?”

“I’m not going anywhere looking like this,” James mumbled sulkily.

“Brilliant,” Draco replied dryly. “I’ll expect your Charms essay to be done by the evening.”

James cringed at _that_ happy suggestion. “Then again, someone needs to keep an eye out on the babies,” he pointed out sagely. “Oh darn. Well, I _guess_ I could go with them to the park…”

“You’re a saint,” Al retorted dryly, getting up and brushing himself off. “Brilliant, we’re on. I’ll get Lily, you get the brooms.”

“See you in ten.”

They departed in seconds, leaving a bewildered Scorpius in their wake. The young blond sighed and rubbed his temples.

“Father?”

“Yes, Scorpius?”

“Be honest with me, please. Is this…normal?”

“Harry assures me it is. Personally, I have my doubts.”

“They were fighting one minute and now they’re going to the park. I can’t keep up.”

Draco chuckled and ruffled his hair. “You’ll get used to it.”

Scorpius’ unconvinced response was cut off by Al poking his head in the kitchen. “What are you still doing here?” he demanded, coming over and herding his friend about like a persistent sheepdog. “Brooms, park, quidditch. Remember? Come on, we’ve got to grab the Firebolt before James calls dibs!”

Scorpius blinked helplessly. “Weren’t we just in the middle of a war? What about the blue hair and swearing eternal vengeance on Lily and…”

“We called a truce,” Albus explained impatiently.

“When did _that_ happen? I must have missed it somewhere in the middle of the blue hair and the swearing vengeance on…”

“It’s implied! Look, truces for Quidditch and Saturday morning cartoons, ceasefires for birthdays and trips to Fortescue. Oh, and we call the whole thing off in case there’s an apocalypse. Everything else is fair game —except no scissors.” Scorpius groaned and Al shook his head wearily at a smirking Draco. “He has a _lot_ to learn.”

“Show him the ropes,” Draco agreed.

“Father…”

“Oh, hush,” Al interrupted his whining, taking him by the arm and shepherding him out firmly. “I’ll school you ‘til you get it. Now the Finders Keepers rule works for the remote and chocolate frogs, but not for breakfast waffles. And you can call No Take Backs once in a week. Personally, I prefer Tuesday but…”

Their voices grew fainter as they left and Draco grinned to himself. Scorpius was clearly in capable hands. A belated thought struck him and he thumbed through _The Prophet_ thoughtfully. ~~~~

“The female of the species is deadlier than the male,” he quoted dryly. “I wonder where she heard that one.”

A snide, unrepentant voice drifted down from the mantle. “Count your blessings, godson. She was considering Acromantula Venom.”

Of course. Draco shook his head and went back to his breakfast.

 

 

 

****

Lily frowned as she took in the length of the makeshift pitch they had created. Al and James would only be scrapping for the Snitch anyway. That left the Chasers. She and Scorpius would have enough room to shoot if they used that tree and that park bench as markers. It would do, she decided.

“Well, what do you think?” she asked her fellow Chaser.

Scorpius nodded thoughtfully; then looked around discreetly before waving his wand and conjuring two makeshift hoops over their markers. The shimmering blue circles hovered over the bench and the tree, high but not high enough to be spotted. “Better,” he declared with a satisfied nod.

Lily gasped and smacked his arm disapprovingly. “We’re not supposed to do magic out of school!”

Scorpius shrugged lazily. “I won’t tell if you won’t. Besides, this is Father’s wand.”

“And does he know you took it?”

“That would bring us back to I won’t tell if you won’t.”

Lily rolled her eyes and smiled. It was nice having another resourceful Ravenclaw around. Of course, Scorpius was more of Al’s friend than hers but he was pleasant enough and he left her diary alone, thereby satisfying her criteria for a suitable brother. Besides, he was a good Chaser. They often engaged in a little friendly competition during school matches, trying to see who scored the most goals for Ravenclaw.

He was still shy though, and she suspected he was a bit overwhelmed by all the mayhem. It couldn’t be easy for an only child, she reasoned. James, in particular, could take some getting used to. Speaking of the devil, she hadn’t seen him in a while. Lily scanned the little park, looking for her brothers.

James was a little distance away, sprawling on a bench as he chatted up a tall, ditzy blonde. “Oh, the hair?” he said, running a hand through his blue do as she giggled. “I’m in a band. Yeah, we open for the Weird Sisters now and then. It’s a great life on the road…”

Of course. Moving on.

Al was busy wrestling a Bludger back in the box. “Not this time, you overgrown eight ball. Quaffle and Snitch only!” He scowled as it thumped and banged threateningly in the interior of the box. “Oh, that’s classy. You kiss your mother with that mouth?”

Lily giggled, pleased to see Scorpius grinning as well. “They’re idiots,” she declared fondly. “But they’re our idiots.”

“Lucky they’ve got two Ravenclaws looking out for them, yeah?”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of…”

“Oi, you lot! What d’you think you’re doing?”

The Ravenclaws turned around, spotting a tall, burly brunet striding up to them. He was clad in black and scowling threateningly as he approached them. Scorpius took a step back, guided by defensive instinct. He knew a bully when he saw one.

“What’s goin’ on here?” the boy demanded. His beady eyes narrowed menacingly as he glared at the younger children. “Don’t you know this spot’s taken?”

Lily bristled indignantly. “Yeah?” she challenged. “Says who?”

“Says me,” the boy growled, bearing down on her now. “Me ‘n my boys wanna play a spot of Quidditch, so you’re gonna clear out.” He took a look at the blue hoops and grinned. “Thanks for setting up for us, by the way.”

Scorpius scowled but put a protective arm around Lily. The boy was larger than either of them and he didn’t look like he would think much of hitting a girl. Retreat was prudent. “Let’s go,” he suggested.

“Um…how about _no_ ,” Lily declared, pushing him off. She strode over to the intruder fearlessly, glaring at the boy towering at least a foot over her. “Look here, Butch. I don’t know who or what you think you are. But we were here first and we’re not leaving!”

“The hell you’re not!”

“The hell we are!”

“Lily, come on,” Scorpius hissed urgently. “We’ll just set up somewhere else.”

“No! We were here first! Who does he think he is making us…”

The boy made a sudden lunge for her and pushed. Lily screamed as she went sprawling to the ground and Scorpius saw red. He preferred brains over brawn when dealing with bullies, but he wasn’t going to stand around and watch this lout attack a girl. “That’s it!” he spat, pulling out the wand and aiming it at his adversary. His mouth twisted in a vicious smirk as the boy’s eyes widened and he took a step back. Coward. All bullies were.

“Touch her again and you’ll be sorry,” he threatened.

“Oh…oh yeah?” the boy snapped back, lifting his chin belligerently. “Well, you’re not supposed to be using that out of school, are you? Yeah! You hex me and you get expelled so if you think…”

“He’s not the one you need to worry about,” another voice broke out. Albus had seen the commotion and come running the second Scorpius had pulled out the wand. He helped Lily up and took his place next to his friend, glaring angrily at the boy. The boy scowled back, his beady eyes scrunching with confusion as more and more adversaries popped up out of nowhere.

“So _you’re_ going to take me on, shorty?” he sneered at Albus.

“Damn right I am!” Al declared, whipping out the box with the angry Bludger. The Bludger announced its ominous presence by banging inside its metal prison fretfully. Al grinned menacingly as the bully winced at the furious racket. “I’ve got a Bludger in here and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“You’re outnumbered,” Scorpius snapped. “Now get lost.”

The boy’s face went an impressive shade of scarlet. “No way, I’m getting thrown out of my pitch by a couple babies!” he snarled. “You lot are **dead!”** He reached out, clearly intending to grab Scorpius. The lithe blond dodged easily and the bully roared and made for Al, catching him and hauling him up by his collar.

This, as it happened was the last straw.

“That’s it!” Lily hissed dangerously. “ _Now_ I’m mad.”  

She took one look at the hulk going after her brothers, sucked in a deep breath…

…and launched the secret weapon.

**“JAMIE!”**

James whirled around at once, taking in the situation. His eyes narrowed as he saw his baby sister screaming for him. Not too far away, Scorpius and Albus were trying to escape something that resembled a building in a Grateful Dead t-shirt. James growled and disengaged himself from his blonde tangle, striding purposefully over to the ruckus.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded, instinctively holding his arms out for Lily. The little girl sniffed and charged for him, burying her face in his shoulder.

“He p-pushed me!” she complained shakily, pointing a fretful finger at the unfortunate boy.

 **“** He **what?!”**

 “Oh, you’re in trouble now,” Al snickered, still dangling in the befuddled bully’s fist. “That’s our big brother. He’s in a gang. They’re called the…the Blue Haired Devils.”

“I wouldn’t call it a _gang_ ,” Scorpius contributed thoughtfully. “He just shanked a couple people in Azkaban.”

The boy gulped and dropped Al like a hot potato. Scorpius scrambled to help him up and get out of the way, giving James some space to work in.

The eldest Potter boy was still cradling Lily. His brown eyes trained on the intruder, fraught with protective rage. “You lot stay here and set up. We’re not going anywhere. And _you_ ,” he snarled, turning on the bully. “You and I are going to have a little talk about what happens to people who mess with my family.”

Apparently, good, old-fashioned common sense finally caught up because the boy yelped and made a run for it, fleeing like he had wolves chasing after him. James growled and gave chase, disappearing after him.

“Good old Jamie.” Al grinned fondly. “Always comes through in a crisis.”

“That’s our boy,” Lily smiled. “I’ll get the Quaffle. You lot guard the pitch. We’re not giving it up without a fight.”

Scorpius watched her run off, a bemused smile playing on his lips. “You’re lucky to have them,” he told Albus. His best friend sighed and slung an arm around him. “You have them too, you dolt. Don’t you get it? We’re a family.”

Scorpius smiled back, nodding slowly. “I guess we are.”

“There you go,” Al retorted happily. “So I was thinking. As soon as the truce is over, it’s a free for all. We should prank Lil and Jamie before they get us.”

Scorpius grinned. He could definitely get used to this. “What did you have in mind?”

Al’s eyes glinted as they huddled together. “We’re going to need some saran wrap, some whipped cream and a feather. Here’s how it’s going down…”

 

 

 

****

And so it began. Before long, Harry and Draco found their orderly, organised  little home devolve into a war zone.

“Finders Keepers!” Scorpius whooped, waving a guitar around precariously as he bolted past Harry. “I read the rule book!”

“It doesn’t count for things you nick from my room!” James howled, belting after him and nearly knocking his father over. Harry flattened himself against a wall, just about managing to avoid getting run over by his furious sixteen year old. “Give it back, Blondie!”

Somewhere at the other end of the house, Draco ducked as a water balloon flew over his head. Seconds later, a shriek of pure rage rang out and Lily emerged from the kitchen, soggy and furious. “You!” she spat at her chortling brother, wielding a deadly sauce pan as she stalked him. “That’s it, Al! I’m going to kick your scrawny little…”

“I call Take Backs!”

“It’s not Tuesday!”

“People, please,” Draco tried. “Can we just…” They ignored him as they ran screeching for the room, no doubt in search of new victims to haunt.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Draco muttered. Amused chuckling broke out in his vicinity and Draco turned, scowling at a familiar painting. “I hope you’re happy,” he snapped at Severus. “This happens to be _your_ fault.”

“Oh please,” Severus scoffed, brushing his robes smugly. “A stray breeze would set them off and you know it.”

“Remind me to let Harry put you back in the attic,” Draco muttered. He departed, leaving his godfather snickering over the mantle. There was a crash somewhere followed by a round of _ooohs_ and Draco suddenly decided that if he had to go and figure out what it was, he would go stark raving mad. Without another thought, he bolted for the only sanctuary left in this madhouse— his bedroom. He could have screamed in frustration when he found it locked.

“Harry, open up!”

“What’s the password?”

“Damn it, Harry!” Draco snarled, banging viciously. “You open this door right now or so help me…”

There was a click and the door swung open. Draco squawked as he stumbled, flailing right into Harry’s arms.

“That’ll work,” Harry snickered, gathering up his exhausted husband.

“We’re raising hellions,” Draco moaned, burrowing into his chest. “Or animals. Possibly both.”

“I tried to tell you. But you were all _don’t be nervous, Harry_ and _they’re just children, Harry_ and…”

“Fine, fine. You were right,” Draco grumbled.

Harry chuckled and stroked his hair. Draco sighed in contentment, nuzzling into his shoulder and enjoying his rare moment of peace. “It’s been a while since I’ve just held you like this,” Harry murmured softly, pressing a kiss to his head. “We’ve been running in circles for months now. Merlin, I don’t even remember the last time we…how long have the kids been here?”

Draco scoffed. “Well, let’s just revisit the timeline, shall we? James saran wrapped the toilet about…oh, let’s say three weeks ago. Scorpius followed that up by covering him with shaving cream when he was sleeping. That was around two weeks ago by my calculations. Right before Lily thought it would be a good idea to wax Al’s legs while he was sleeping…Merlin, I wish I was making this up. But if you’re looking for an exact number on how long we’ve had them, I’m going to say _too damn long_! I swear to Merlin I’m one step from…”

Draco’s rant was unceremoniously interrupted by another crash from downstairs, followed by a litany of _I’m telling, I’m telling!_ Harry groaned and Draco cringed.

“I can’t take much more of this,” he whined fretfully, glomming on to Harry again. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

Harry sighed and patted his head in a commiserating fashion. “I’m with you,” he said. “But we can’t leave them here and run off. They’ll bring the house down.”

Draco considered that. It was a valid point but he wasn’t going down without a fight. “There’s another way,” he said slowly. Harry looked at him with renewed interest.

“Are you suggesting…”

“I am.”

“But do you think they can…”

“I’ll take my chances! It’s every man for himself now. I need this, Harry. I need to walk around without fear of having a water balloon explode on my person! I need one minute of blessed silence to read the damn paper! I need…”

Harry hastened to shush his overwrought partner, murmuring into his hair and stroking his back soothingly. “I know, love,” he whispered. “I need some time off too. Between work and coming back to a house full of kids, we haven’t had enough time to ourselves. What I wouldn’t give for a peaceful walk in Diagon Alley…”

“Lunch at the Leaky…”

“Anything to eat that isn’t covered in sugar,” Harry groaned. A sudden resolve strengthened inside him and he nodded determinedly. “Alright, then. We’re doing this. Just you and me.”

“Promise?” Draco whimpered. “We can…go out like normal people?”

“Absolutely.”

“Go for a walk later?”

“Of course.”

“Rent a room at the Leaky and shag like rabbits?”

“Defini…what?”

Draco unearthed himself from Harry’s embrace, looking up at his husband with sly, sultry eyes. “Worth a shot,” he grinned, letting his lips brush tantalizingly against Harry’s neck.

Harry groaned for an entirely different reason, letting his husband go reluctantly. “You cover the Floo. I’ll write out the owls.”

 

 

 

****

That evening, a flurry of grandmothers apparated into the designated war zone armed with nothing more than a purpose and a set of disapproving glares honed over years of raising unruly children. Harry and Draco welcomed them with open arms. Literally. At one point, Draco had to physically pry Harry off Molly Weasley as he embraced the woman with a non-stop litany of “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you…” 

It was at this moment that Narcissa made an entrance. She stopped short and observed the wreckage, an elegant eyebrow rising of its own accord. “You should have called sooner,” she informed her son. “I would have…oh, Mrs Weasley? I apologise, I didn’t see you there.”

“Mrs Malfoy,” Molly greeted, as she disengaged herself from Harry. “Do call me Molly, won’t you? I believe we’ll be working together for the rest of the evening. First names would make things easier, don’t you think?”

“Of course,” Narcissa replied, a bit taken aback by the woman’s warmth and openness. It certainly couldn’t be easy, considering their history. Not to mention, Draco was married to her _daughter’s_ ex-husband. Still, if Molly Weasley was going to make an effort, she certainly wasn’t going to hold back. “That would be wonderful, Molly. I insist you call me Narcissa as well.”

“Brilliant, we’re all friends,” Draco drawled. “Ladies, we can’t thank you enough. Make yourselves at home. And you’ll need this,” he added, handing his mother _The Standard Book of Spells_ he had come to love so much. Narcissa sighed in exasperation as she accepted the book. “This one, darling? Really? I upgraded to the _Deluxe Edition_ the day you were born.”

“Oh, you certainly want that one with children running about,” Molly agreed. “Personally, I’m lost without _Charm Your Own Cheese_.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have that lying around, would you? I’ve been meaning to catch up on…”

 “Well, it looks like you have everything under control,” Harry cut in before they got to the _Gilderoy Lockhart_ gift set. “Thank you, again. We just _really_ need some time off.”

“Oh, we can handle our own grandchildren,” Molly smiled, waving them off. “Go on then, the both of you. Get some dinner, you look half-starved.”

They departed with grateful nods. Molly shut the door and turned to Narcissa with a smile. “Shall we do this together?”

“Well, we could…”

She was cut off by another round of shrieks and howls from upstairs. Narcissa smirked. “Let’s make this interesting, Molly. You deal with _my_ grandchild, and I’ll handle yours.”

“They certainly won’t be expecting that,” Molly chuckled. “Let’s get to work then.”

With purposeful nods, they marched upstairs. Never let it be said that Weasleys and Malfoys just can’t work together.

 

 

 

****

“I still say we should have rented a room,” Draco said as they walked back to their flat. Harry wrapped an affectionate arm around him and Draco smiled at the familiarity of his husband’s touch. After his disastrous marriage to Astoria, he had never expected to find happiness with anyone else. Of course, he could thank Harry for throwing all his plans out the window yet again. But Draco wouldn’t change any of it for the world. Even if the kids drove him round the twist sometimes…

“I’m glad we did this,” Harry replied, squeezing his shoulder. “I haven’t had the chance to take you out in forever.”

“I was under the impression that I took you out.” Draco teased, nudging him fondly. “I’m fairly certain dinner was _my_ idea.”

Harry grinned and pulled him closer, leaning to brush his lips over Draco’s. “Let’s try one of my ideas now,” he murmured.

Draco smirked, even as a shiver of pleasure ran down his spine. “Making out on the porch?” he drawled softly, running a finger down Harry’s jaw. “We’re hardly teenagers anymore. Speaking of which, we should probably go in there and rescue Mother and Molly from our little monsters.”

Harry groaned, but he wasn’t going down without a fight. He wrapped his arms around Draco and pulled him in for a snog anyway, planting a firm hand in the blond’s hair to keep him in place. Draco gasped, parting his lips obligingly and Harry took due advantage by slipping his tongue into that warm, welcoming heat. Draco’s tongue sought out his and Harry moaned and angled his head eager for more. By the time he released Draco, his body was thrumming with urgent need. He took one look at his husband’s flushed face and swollen lips and physically reined in the urge to lunge at him.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to lose it,” Draco muttered, echoing his thoughts.

Harry responded with another chaste kiss to his lips, before opening the door. 

They entered the dark, little hallway, wary and uneasy. “It’s quiet,” Harry commented uneasily.

“Too quiet,” Draco agreed. He looked around anxiously, no doubt suspecting an ambush of some sort. No explanation presented itself and the house remained unbelievably quiet. That was… unsettling. “Let’s go on.”

Harry followed as he made his way down the hall. When they finally emerged at the living room, Draco was so stunned at what he was seeing that he actually stopped in his tracks. Apparently Harry suffered the same reaction, running right into Draco before freezing as well. They stood there and gaped unabashedly, too astounded to do much otherwise.

“Are…are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Draco managed.

“I think so,” Harry replied, sounding awed. “How did this _happen?_ ”

James seemed to sense their hushed muttering because he frowned and batted haphazardly in his sleep. Albus whined and slumped against his shoulder, stilling the irritating movement. Lily murmured in response and nuzzled against Scorpius, making a pillow of his back. The blond remained perfectly still, hugging a cushion as he sprawled precariously on James— nearly slipping off the couch. Draco suspected that if the older boy didn’t have a firm arm wrapped around him he would have been on the floor. The television they had apparently fallen asleep to, droned on in the background— too soft to be of any actual disturbance.

 It was such a peaceful and domestic scene that Harry and Draco just stood there, unable to look away from their slumbering brood.

“I didn’t even think they _could_ sleep,” Harry whispered. Draco shushed him.

“Don’t wake them yet,” he whispered, his eyes uncharacteristically gentle as he regarded the four. “Let’s find Mother and Molly first. Maybe learn their secrets.”

They located the two grandmothers in the kitchen, talking quietly over tea and biscuits. Draco noted with chagrin that neither woman looked tired. They didn’t even have one hair out of place. Oh, he was going to be hearing about _this_ one until Christmas…

“Oh nonsense, Molly,” Narcissa said. “You barely look a day over thirty. I know just the spell to bring out that lovely auburn in your hair. I’m sure Arthur would agree.”

“Cissa dear, you’re far too kind. Remind me to send you my secret recipe for fudge brownies. Who knew Lucius had such a sweet tooth?”

“Oh, you have no idea, darling. It’s where Draco got his…” She trailed off as she caught sight of the two men gaping at them from the door. “And there they are. You’re home early, darlings. Had a nice night out, did you?”

“What… happened out there?” Harry demanded, apparently unable to come to terms with this. “It’s…all quiet and sleepy and…”

“You didn’t drug them, did you?” Draco demanded. “Not that we’re disapproving. Actually, we could get on board with that, couldn’t we, Harry?”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” Narcissa scolded. “They’re a lovely bunch— just a little rambunctious. Certainly nothing compared to the terror _you_ were.”

Draco sputtered indignantly as Molly laughed. “You boys had us so worried. They didn’t give us any trouble. We had dinner and then they insisted on watching that contraption in the living room. We didn’t have the heart to wake them when they dozed off.”

“It’s a conspiracy,” Harry declared firmly. “They’re _trying_ to drive us mad.”

Narcissa raised an eyebrow. “Or you’re just young parents trying to figure it out,” she replied. “We’ve all been there. Try not to beat yourself up too much. Or run for cover every time things get a little rough.”

“They’ll catch on to that,” Molly agreed. She glanced at the clock and stood abruptly. “Merlin, look at the time! We really must be going. This was lovely, Narcissa. Do come by sometime for tea?”

“I wouldn’t miss it, Molly dear. And let me know when your Ginevra is home after the Harpies Season. Draco just happens to have a very eligible friend. Perhaps you’ve heard of Blaise Zabini?”

Harry and Draco followed the chattering women in stunned, obedient silence. It was just easier to…let this happen. They said their grateful goodbyes, thanking the ladies profusely for the miracle they had conjured.

“I should be the one thanking you, Harry,” Narcissa said, giving him a rare, fond smile. “I…confess I’ve worried about my grandson for a while now. I’m not so worried anymore.”

“And you, Draco dear,” Molly added, pulling the flabbergasted blond in for a motherly hug. “Thank you for being so good to my grandchildren. They can’t say enough about you, those three.”

It was two awkward, bashful men who finally managed to shepherd the witches out the door. The house breathed again in peaceful silence, the kind they hadn’t heard in a while now.

“We should get them to bed,” Draco finally suggested.

“You take two,” Harry replied, reaching for Albus. Draco levitated James up carefully, disappearing up the stairs and into his room. Harry followed, tucked his son in and made a second trip downstairs, noting that Draco was already halfway up with Scorpius in his arms. Smiling softly, he gathered up his little girl.

“Come on, sweetheart,” he murmured. “Let’s get you in bed.”

“Daddy?” Lily murmured, rubbing her eyes.

“Go to sleep, princess. It’s late.”

“We fell asleep,” she yawned. “But it was fun.”

“Oh?”

“Mm, Mrs Malfoy’s really nice. She said I was pretty.”

Harry chuckled. “Of course she did. You’re the prettiest girl I know.”

Lily hummed in contentment, clearly satisfied with that answer. She was already asleep by the time Harry tucked her in. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before making for his room. It had been a great night, and he knew they weren’t all going to be like this. There would be fighting and shouting and broken vases, but it was worth it. Every bit of it.

A little ways down the hall, Draco was having similar thoughts. “Go to sleep, son,” he whispered softly, carefully tucking Scorpius in. “It’s been a long night.”

“Father?”

Draco groaned as he realised he had woken the child. “It’s okay. Go to sleep,” he coaxed.

“I know. ’S okay now,” Scorpius mumbled, giving him a dopey, sleepy smile. “I like it here.”

Draco smiled back as his son drifted off without another word. He waited a moment to make sure both boys were asleep and then crept out.

Harry was waiting for him when he finally crept into bed. Draco settled in his husband’s arms, enjoying the moment. “This is nice,” he whispered.

Harry chuckled into his hair. “The quiet house or me?”

“Both,” Draco smirked. “But if it helps, you’re definitely in first place.” He hooked a slender leg around Harry, drawing him in slowly. Harry capitulated fairly quickly, grinning as he leaned in for a slow, demanding kiss. His hands trailed down Draco’s sides, pausing to fiddle with his buttons. His hands brushed Draco’s warm skin along the way and Harry groaned. Draco felt like silk and he looked like an angel in the dim moonlight. How had he gotten so fucking _lucky?_

“So beautiful,” he growled. “Want you so much.” His teeth closed around the blond’s neck in a gentle bite, his body surging with pleasure and triumph as Draco rewarded him with a soft moan.

“Don’t make me wait,” he whispered urgently in the darkness. “They’ll be up in no time and…”

Harry deepened the kiss at once, intent on driving all thoughts of rowdy, noisy children from Draco’s mind. The blond shifted against his body and moaned softly, a low pleading sound that went straight to Harry’s surging cock.

“We have a lot of lost time to make up for,” he rasped, his voice a deep, low growl. And then he descended on his husband, refusing to waste precious time on idle chit chat anymore.

 

 

 

****

The days passed in all the chaos and confusion that accompany the summer vacations. Despite the ruckus, Harry was fairly content with the way things had turned out for him. The kids were happy and getting along for the most part, he had Draco and he didn’t need much more to be happy. It was perfect.

Life remained fairly consistent, until a few weeks later when Harry found himself being shaken awake, rather roughly. He groaned and turned on his side, instinctively searching for Draco. His husband’s side was bare and Harry frowned in his sleep. That wasn’t right…

“Dad, please! Wake up already!”

The frantic, pleading voice jerked him out of his half slumber and Harry bolted up, instantly aware. Even through his blurred vision, Al’s teary face was unmistakable. Appropriately alarmed, Harry reached for his son and his glasses at the same time.

“Al, what’s the matter?” he demanded, pulling his boy closer.

“It’s bad,” Al whimpered fretfully, curling into him. For all his teenage blustering, he required a little cuddling every now and then and Harry was happy to oblige. “Hush, baby,” he murmured, using a soft, soothing tone he hadn’t required since Al had turned six. It was just as effective now as it had been then. Al visibly relaxed in his arms, letting his father take care of him.

“What’s wrong?” Harry coaxed, going over a mental list in his mind. He couldn’t think of anything that would have caused this reaction.

Al stared up at him, looking distraught. “It’s Scorp. He’s…Dad, he’s…”

“What happened?”

Al swallowed and composed himself, launching into the story. “I don’t know what happened. Scorp was gone when I woke up so I went down looking for him. And he’s in the living room with Draco and…and his mum’s on the Floo. Draco was yelling and…he looked so _angry_. I’ve never seen Draco like that and Scorp looked like he was going to cry and I just wanted to find you and…”

First things first. Harry commenced shushing the little boy, soothing him and shutting down the rambling. When he was certain Albus wasn’t going to burst into tears himself, he got out of bed and quickly pulled on a ratty old t-shirt. It took a bit of arguing but Albus agreed to stay there until whatever was happening downstairs was sorted. Harry gave him a reassuring kiss and headed down, making for the floo at once.

He winced at the sound of Draco in all his raging glory. It took a lot for his cool, collected husband to lose it like this, but if Astoria was involved… Harry set his jaw and strode to the living room. He was almost inside when a blond, blur shot out nearly knocking him over. Harry grabbed Scorpius’ arm on instinct, turning the boy around. The look on the child’s face went through him like a knife. Scorpius looked wrecked—he was pale and his eyes were red, he’d clearly been crying. Oh Merlin…

“Scorpius?” Harry tried gently. “What…”

“I’m fine,” the blond snapped, looking away and trying to push him off. “It’s okay, really.”

“It’s most certainly not…”

“It’s **fine** , Harry!” he practically screamed, trying to escape Harry’s grasp frantically now. “I’m fine! Just leave me alone!”

Harry watched helplessly as he wrenched away and bolted up the stairs. In the interiors of the drawing room, Draco was still shouting, apparently too worked over to consider his son’s state. Torn between following the distraught child or calming his husband down, Harry finally made a decision and strode into the living room. Perhaps Albus would be able to get through to Scorpius. Draco was a more immediate threat, seeing that he was more likely to bring the house crashing down on them.

“…selfish, inconsiderate **wench!** ” he snarled into the Floo. Harry cringed as he took in Draco’s rigid posture and the sparking, deadly glint of his eyes. So much for all that talk about Draco mellowing down. In his element, he was downright dangerous and Harry could only be grateful that the blond was on _his_ side now. He vaguely noticed that Snape was no longer inhabiting his portrait. He had probably made a discreet exit the moment Draco started shouting; a wise decision in Harry’s opinion. His gaze drifted to the source of all the mayhem. Astoria’s refined, unimpressed features flickered in the fireplace. Harry’s mouth twisted in displeasure at her obvious indifference.

“Do calm down, Draco,” she drawled. “This…display is beneath either of us.”

“Spare me your social niceties, Astoria,” Draco sneered. “You’ve successfully wrecked my son’s life _again_ and I’m not as inclined to your nonsense as I once was.”

“It’s just Quidditch,” Astoria sighed. “He’ll get over it. Surely, you don’t think I _planned_ for Daniel to take me to Venice the same week? Honestly Draco, if it’s that big a deal why don’t you take him?”

“I’m working today, you selfish bint! If I’d known that you were going to cancel on him, I would have planned my work shifts accordingly!”

“My my, such a busy Healer,” Astoria mocked. “Can’t take a day off for the boy and you have the nerve to yell at me.”

Draco sneered at her. “And you wonder why we had problems in our marriage.”

Astoria smirked. “Oh Draco, don’t be modest. There was only one problem with our marriage.” Her eyes flicked to Harry and she grinned maliciously. “And he’s standing right behind you.”

Draco whirled around, the glare in his eyes dissipating as he caught sight of his husband.

“Draco,” Harry murmured, coming over and placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. “What’s going on? Do you want some privacy?”

“Don’t be silly, Harry,” Astoria smirked. “We have no secrets from _you_.”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Harry gritted before turning back to his husband.

“Stay,” Draco replied wearily. “The damage is done anyway.” His eyes reflected sheer malice as he glared down at his ex-wife. “She’s gone and made my son’s life miserable again. I don’t know why I expected any different.”

“Harry,” Astoria sighed. “Tell your…husband to stop being so unreasonable. I simply can’t change my plans for a silly game.”

“You haven’t seen your son in three years,” Draco spat out. “One would think that that would qualify for a change in your precious plans!”

“Draco, stop being so melodramatic. Really…”

“Stop it, both of you,” Harry cut in tightly. He was utterly disgusted by the scene he had just come across and he fervently wished Scorpius hadn’t had to be there to witness it. His heart went out to the boy. No wonder he was so withdrawn. If his own mother treated him like this…

In that moment, Harry resolved to do something about it. Scorpius deserved better than this.

“I’ll take him,” he told Draco. “Just calm yourself down and go to St Mungo's. We’ll be fine.”

Draco sighed and shook his head. “He won’t go,” he replied. “He’s just going to hole himself up in his room again.”

“Not this time,” Harry replied firmly. “Go on. I’ll take care of it, okay?”

“See?” Astoria chirped up. “Ever the Saviour. I can see why you like him so much, Draco.”

Harry sneered at her, turning back to Draco. The blond regarded him doubtfully, and Harry held his gaze intent on convincing him to trust him with this. Draco finally relented with a sigh. “It’s not like I have a choice,” he muttered. “Short of cutting work, that is.”

“That’s not necessary,” Harry said, squeezing his shoulder gently. “I’ve got him, okay?” Draco nodded and Harry smiled before remembering that they weren’t alone. He turned to Astoria still lurking in the flames. “And you,” he said coldly, raising his wand. “Get out of my fireplace.”

Her shriek of outrage dissolved in the hiss of his _Aguamenti._ The fire dissipated with a low hiss and Harry sighed, feeling a lot better now that the woman was officially gone.

“Just don’t expect too much, Harry,” Draco sighed, summoning his briefcase. “He’s not likely to respond right now.”

“I’ll give it a shot anyway. We’re together in this, Draco. All of us.” He was caught off guard when Draco suddenly seized him and pulled him in for a kiss. “I love you,” he whispered fervently. “So much. Thank you for this.”

Harry responded to that declaration in kind, before finally rallying his self-control and sending his reluctant husband off to work.

He had a job of his own to do.

By the time he was up the stairs, a new scene was in the making. Harry stopped short as he caught sight of all three of his offspring, banging and yelling at Scorpius’ closed door.

“Scorp, come _on!_ ” Albus whined. “I live here too!”

“Scorpius, be reasonable!” Lily was apparently trying the Ravenclaw approach. “Just come out and talk to us. Or at least knock once if you’re okay in there.”

“That’s it, kid,” James announced. “Either you open this door or I’m breaking it down! You’ve got ten seconds. One, two, three…okay seriously, who knows how to break down a door?”

Harry sighed and waded through his worried children, reaching for the door. “Everyone clear off,” he ordered firmly. “Don’t crowd him like this. I’ll go in and talk to him.”

“Good luck,” Al muttered. “He put a locking charm up. And he’s not supposed to do magic out of school!” he added loudly, apparently intending for Scorpius to hear that bit.

Harry sighed. “We’ll let it slide. Now please, everyone just go do…something else. I need to talk to him alone.”

It took a while but they cleared off eventually. Harry knocked softly. “Scorpius, it’s Harry,” he called cautiously. “I know you want to be alone right now, but I really think we should talk. Could you open the door, please?”

There was silence and Harry shuffled restlessly, wondering if he should pull out the _Standard Book of Spells_ again for some sort of door vanishing charm. Then he heard padding footsteps and the door clicked open. Scorpius opened the door, looking tired but composed. “Are they gone?” he asked.

“They won’t bother you,” Harry replied.

“I know they mean well. But…I really don’t want to see anyone right now, Harry.”

“I know. I just think we should talk about it. Just five minutes? I’ll go if you want me to.”

Scorpius gave it some thought, before nodding reluctantly and allowing Harry in. Harry stepped in cautiously, maintaining a respectful distance from the child. “I like what you’ve done with the room,” he commented, taking in the ridiculously clean space. The closets were organised and he could actually see the dresser— something virtually unheard of when Al had the place to himself.

“Sorting stuff out calms me down,” Scorpius replied evasively, fiddling with a hairbrush. Apparently, now was not one of those times.

“I do the dishes when I’m worked up,” Harry confessed, with an embarrassed grin. “Well, that and it keeps your Father happy.”

“Father couldn’t wash a dish if his life depended on it,” Scorpius observed, letting a brief smile show. It faded as quickly as it had appeared. The blond slumped down on his bed, sitting cross legged and watching Harry carefully. Harry tried not to let any trace of concern or anxiety show through. Scorpius was not like his kids. This child was complicated and he would most certainly interpret any sign of worry as condescension or pity. The last thing Harry needed was for him to shut down again.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier,” Scorpius said suddenly. “I didn’t mean to…”

“You were upset,” Harry replied at once. “Don’t worry about it.”

“That’s nice of you. It wasn’t such a big deal. I just…overreacted a bit.”

“Scorpius…” 

Harry took a chance, reaching out very hesitantly and placing a hand on the blond’s slim shoulder. The younger boy looked up at him, his eyes wary but not entirely distrustful. “That wasn’t overreacting,” Harry replied gently but firmly, making sure to maintain eye contact. “As far as reactions go, that one was spot on.”

Scorpius looked away and shrugged him off. Harry retreated at once, giving him some space to work things out. All he wanted to do was hold the child until he didn’t feel so alone any more, but they weren’t there yet. All he could do was hope that Scorpius would trust him.

“Why doesn’t she want me?” he asked finally, his voice breaking and taking Harry’s heart with it. “I…I try to be…better but it’s not enough. It’s just never enough, Harry. I can’t…”

“Scorpius.” Harry could hardly hold back the shock in his voice. “You can’t seriously think this is your fault.”

“Why not? She left because of _me._ She left because she…she didn’t even want to stay with me. She would have stayed with Father if it wasn’t for me. _I’m_ the reason they…”

“That is _not_ true,” Harry cut in firmly. He didn’t care if he was intruding anymore, the boy needed to hear this. “Your Father left her and it wasn’t because you came between them. Merlin, no. Scorpius, you just happen to be the most important person to him and he…had reason to believe she wasn’t a good parent to you. It may be true or it may not be; it’s not my place to say. But I can tell you that it does not make _any_ of this your fault. Never.”

“But she doesn’t want me, does she?” He turned pained, teary eyes on Harry, just pleading with him to say it wasn’t true. Harry for his part was busy cursing Astoria Greengrass to the depths of hell for putting him in this situation.

“I don’t know,” he said finally. “But if she doesn’t, then it’s her loss. Not yours. I, for one, can’t imagine not having you around here anymore. And I’ve got three others right outside that door to back me up.”

“We’re not right outside the door!” Al’s muffled voice called out. “We’ve got the Extendable Ears hooked up in Jamie’s room!”

“Shut it, Al!” Lily snapped.

“Idiot,” James grumbled.

Harry shook his head in exasperation and Scorpius managed a weak chuckle. “Why do you want me here, Harry?” he asked softly. “Why do they want me?”

“Lots of reasons,” Harry replied with a smile. “You’re smart, polite and incredibly funny when you want to be. You’re sensible enough to keep Al out of trouble, intelligent enough to keep up with Lily and brave enough to stand up to James when he puts up his big brother act. You’re there for your friends when they need you, and you’re not afraid to tell them things they might not want to hear. You’re a good person. And I have it from reliable sources that you’re a great brother and a wonderful son. Scorpius, I can’t think of a reason _not_ to have you around. Why should you?”

His sincere speech was well rewarded when Scorpius smiled— the first genuine smile Harry had ever received, and it was every bit as wonderful as he had imagined. “Thank you, Harry. That…that means a lot.” 

Harry chuckled. “Hang on a minute, there’s more.” He called out to his other children, still shamelessly eavesdropping in the other room. “Does anyone else want to tell Scorpius why we need him here?”

“You make the best Charm notes and you don’t steal my diary!”

 “You’re my best friend, you idiot. I’d be lost without you!”

“Of course we want you here, you stupid git. It’s Al we’re trying to get rid of.”

“Hey!”

Scorpius and Harry dissolved into bouts of helpless laughter, drowning out the sounds of indignant scuffling. “I… think I need you guys, too,” Scorpius said finally. “A lot.”

“We’re glad to hear it,” Harry smiled. “Now, what do you say we take in that Quidditch Match? If we’re lucky, the Cannons might actually win a season this year.”

“Against Puddlemere?” Scorpius smirked. “You’re dreaming, Harry.”

Harry chuckled and got up, herding him to the door. “There’s only one way to find out, you little cynic. Let’s go.”

 

 

 

****

Harry hadn’t thought he would ever enjoy watching a Quidditch match over playing in one, and he certainly didn’t think he would enjoy seeing the Canons suffering their worst loss in years. But Scorpius’ happy grin was infectious, as was his uninhibited cheering. Having lost their bet, Harry gamely sponsored a trip to Fortescue and put up with all the ribbing and teasing Scorpius dished out when he wasn’t inhaling his sundae. But the best part of his day was undoubtedly walking back home with the child— still silent but no longer cagey, still diffident but no longer withdrawn, still shy but no longer _lonely._

“Thank you for today, Harry,” Scorpius said, breaking the comfortable silence. “I had a great day. And I know you didn’t have to but…”

“But I _wanted_ to. You’ll just have to get used to that.”

Scorpius grinned, reached out and squeezed his arm. “Would you mind if I asked you something? It’s a bit personal. I would ask Father but…well, he didn’t have much luck with it at school either and I was wondering if…well, if you would help.”

Harry cocked his head curiously. “I can try. What is it?”

“So…there’s this girl…”

Harry chuckled inwardly, making a mental note to tease Draco about his apparent misfortune with the ladies at school. But that could wait until later. He smiled down at Scorpius, giving him his undivided attention. “Tell me more.”

 

 

 

****

“Do stop pacing, Draco,” Severus drawled from over the mantle. Honestly, this was just overkill.

“They should be back by now,” Draco fretted, ignoring his godfather completely. “They’ve been gone for hours.”

“Yes, it would be just like Potter to lose your son at a Quidditch match…”

Draco closed his eyes and _prayed_ for patience. “Severus, remember when I said talking to you helped me figure things out? I lied.”

“Well, forgive me for not living up to your high standards, Mr Malfoy.”

“Will you just stop being… _you_ for five minutes? I could really use some…”

The door clicked open and Draco shut up at once, composing himself as Harry walked in with his son. They were smiling and Scorpius looked…happy. Genuinely happy. Draco tried not to sag against the couch in his relief.

“So remember,” Harry was saying. “A little shyness can work in your favour. That’s how I got my first date for the Yule Ball. But you don’t want to be awkward about it. That…would be how I lost my first date for the Yule Ball. And whatever you do, don’t step on her feet.”

“I think I can manage that.” Scorpius looked thoughtful as Draco shook his head—unable to believe this was the angry, miserable boy he had left behind. His tone was carefully neutral when he spoke up. “So you two had a good day?”

Scorpius grinned. “The best!”

“The best.” Harry nodded in agreement.

“And…” Draco raised an eyebrow not entirely convinced. “I’m not missing anything?” Harry and Scorpius exchanged conspiring smiles before Harry answered for them. “Not a thing.”

“Okay.” Draco nodded slowly. “So...I’ll just go to bed then?”

“You do that.” Harry smirked at his husband, then looked down at Scorpius. “I’ll be up in a minute.”

Draco gave them one last bemused look ~~,~~ before going upstairs. Harry watched him leave with a grin, before turning and giving Scorpius a gentle push towards the door. “Your turn, kid,” he said softly. “It’s been a long day. Get some sleep, yeah?”

“Okay,” Scorpius agreed, suppressing a yawn. “I really had a great time today, Harry. Can we do it again sometime?”

“Whenever you want,” Harry promised. “Just give me a heads up, yeah?” ~~~~

Scorpius nodded, giving him a shy smile. Harry ruffled his hair as he left, voicing a quiet good night. He watched until he disappeared up the stairs, content and at peace with the way things had turned out. It was a start and a good one at that. Nodding to himself , Harry turned to leave as well, stopping only when a voice called out. ~~~~

“Mr Potter.” ~~~~

Harry halted and turned around, looking at Snape’s painting enquiringly. His late Potions Professor gave nothing away; his expression as blank as the canvas he was etched on. His brusque words however, said it all. ~~~~

“Ten points to Gryffindor.” ~~~~

The smile didn’t leave Harry’s face, even when he turned out the lights and slipped under his own covers.

 

 

 

****

**One month later…**

Before he knew it, he was standing at Kings Cross again saying goodbye to the kids as they prepared to board the Hogwarts Express. It was too soon, Harry thought. He was so used to the chaos now. The house would seem empty without his four hooligans running amok. On the bright side, Severus would be leaving as well. That, at least, made Harry smile.

“Geez, Dad, you could _pretend_ to look a little sad,” Al grumbled as he wrestled with his trunk.

“Trust me, I’m dying inside,” Harry retorted, ruffling his hair a bit. “Besides, you’ll be back before you know it.”

“I bet _Draco_ will miss me,” Al replied huffily. “Won’t you, Draco?”

“I’ll be counting the minutes until you come back.” Al gave him a happy grin, turning to take a look at the Hogwarts Express. “Let’s go grab a compartment, Scorp,” he suggested. He gave the blond a sly grin before adding, “I just saw Melanie Carlisle get into _that_ one.”

“Shy, not awkward,” Harry whispered as the blond turned to him instinctively. Scorpius smiled and gave him a quick hug, leaning into him before letting go. “Thanks, Harry. I’ll write to you every week, okay?”

“You do that, kid. I’ll miss you.”

“Oh, perfect,” Al grumbled. “ _Him_ you’ll miss.”

“Go,” Draco laughed, herding them off. “Before we decide to keep you lot here.” They gave him a hug each before running off, laughing and jostling each other. Full of enthusiasm for a new year. Harry smiled. That was just how it should be.

Lily was far more sedate, hugging them affectionately and promising to keep an eye on all her stupid brothers.

“And I’ll keep an eye on Lorcan Scamander,” James grumbled, making a show of cracking his knuckles.

Lily gasped. “Don’t you dare! Daddy, tell him not to…”

“Don’t worry, princess,” Harry said, placating her effortlessly. “I’ll have a talk with him. Go on, go see your friends. And write to us every week.”

She smiled and skipped off and Harry waited until she was safely in the train before turning to James. “Seriously,” he muttered. “Keep an eye on that Scamander kid.”

“You know I will, Dad,” James muttered, looking a bit put out.

“What’s the matter?” Draco grinned. “Don’t you want to go back to school?”

James groaned and slumped against Harry’s shoulder. “Didn’t do my homework,” he whined, sounding eight years old all over again. “Binns is gonna freak. Don’t make me go back there, Daddy!”

Harry chuckled and patted his head fondly. “That’s my brave Gryffindor,” he teased. “You’ll be okay. Just do what I did. Stay up all night and finish it.”

“That only worked because you had Granger’s notes to begin with,” Draco commented dryly.

James groaned again. “I’m doomed.”

It took until the first warning whistle to pry him off and get him on the train. _Too soon_ , Harry thought again as his oldest clambered on and his other two…no, _three_ waved and called to him from the windows.

“We’ll write!”

“And we won’t lose house points! Every day!”

“We love you guys!”

“There they go,” Draco murmured softly. Harry sighed and reached for his hand, finding comfort in the slim fingers wrapped around his own. The Hogwarts Express shrieked one final warning, trundling to a slow start as it left the station. Harry watched in silence. They were leaving. They were off, back to Hogwarts, back to a new year. 

So far away…

“I’m going to miss them,” Draco said softly.

“Me too,” Harry replied. “It’s a good thing they’re coming back for Christmas.”

“It is,” Draco agreed. He fished a tattered old book out of his pocket and grinned at it. “I guess we won’t need _The Standard Book of Spells_ anymore, will we?” ~~~~

“Oh, I don’t know,” Harry smirked. “I picked up the _Deluxe Edition_ yesterday. Let’s just say it’s…promising. Specifically, Chapters 4 to 8.”

Draco raised an eyebrow at his husband. “Is that right?” he drawled, even as his grey eyes glinted with interest.

“Well, we have to find some way to pass the time until they come back.”

“That’s true,” Draco smirked. “We do have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“And that, Potter, is why I married you.”

Harry laughed and pulled Draco close as he prepared to apparate them home. It wasn’t the life he had planned for himself and it certainly wasn’t the family he had expected, but he knew one thing for certain:

Nothing, absolutely _nothing_ could be better.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! All comments are extremely welcome either here or on [Livejournal](http://hd-fan-fair.livejournal.com/59905.html).


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